drug utilization evaluation (due) of captopril in two coronary care units (ccu) of namazi hospital, shiraz, iran

Captopril is one of the most important medicines prescribed for managing cardiovascular disorders. therefore, its appropriate prescription, dosage, and other drug-related factors of captopril have indispensable importance in the management of cardiovascular disorders. performing a drug utilization evaluation (due) study on captopril in a referral in-patient setting that may provide a strategy for optimizing captopril use and an insight into aspects of drug use and prescribing such as the pattern of use, quality, and outcomes. this survey was conducted in two cardiac care unit wards of namazi hospital, iran within 2 years. the patients were selected for the survey based on their confirmed diagnosis by cardiologists. twelve study criteria including indications, contraindications, drug interactions, dosage, dosing adjustment, pretreatment considerations, and monitoring parameters were evaluated for each patient and recorded in a questionnaire designed by the clinical pharmacist. 207 patients participated in this study. more than 85% of patients have correct indications for captopril prescriptions. the mean±standard deviation (sd) of hospitalization duration was 7.15±4.09 days. statistical analysis revealed that in 27 (13.0%) of patients the blood potassium level was in an unacceptable range. for serum creatinine and blood urea nitrogen (bun), the percentages for unacceptable amounts were 20.3 and 24.6%, respectively. finally, the mean±sd of the final score for captopril utilization based on the standard guideline was 10.45±1.24 out of 12. the results suggest that to improve therapeutic outcomes with captopril, it is recommended to provide further education to specialists, adhere to captopril prescription guidelines, and implement appropriate monitoring methods.